A forces charity boss is set to walk around Loch Ken ... pulling a weighty companion.
Robin Hood will be accompanied by a wooden carving of a Scottish squaddie and he is also hoping some old friends will join him.
Robin is the chief executive of Southwest RNR and has pulled the sculpture of “Jock” across the UK on previous fundraising tasks.
But his latest challenge will be closer to his home near Mossdale as he follows the route of the Crossmichael Marathon to raise funds and publicity for the charity which helps veterans retrain and find new employment.
Robin said: “With the rising cost of living so many charities are going out of business because of the economy, rising fuel prices and everything else. People’s disposable income is down, so we need to raise publicity.
“I have to say that people in Dumfries and Galloway are still extremely generous.
“In May myself and the vice chairman Archie Dryburgh, who is also the Armed Forces champion, were outside Morrisons in Dumfries and raised £1,003 in a single day.”
In 1994 Robin took part in the first Crossmichael Marathon to raise funds for DEBRA, pushing a buggy with his daughter Alex inside. Alex died in 2008 from skin cancer caused by epidermolysis bullosa.
Joining him on that occasion were Territorial Army colleagues Paul Middlemiss, now a retired colonel, Kenny McGill and Sandy Dunlop who, he hopes, will be there when he follows the race route on August 13 and 14.
He said: I’m 66 now so my plan is to start at Crossmichael and as my house is halfway round I can stop there overnight.”
Southwest RNR has helped 68 veterans retrain as HGV drivers, partly thanks to a £135,500 grant from the UK Government in 2017.
And Robin believes he could help hundreds more into jobs with more support.
He said: “If the government gave me £750,000 I could get the other 250 people on our books back into work.
“There is one guy in Dumfries who got his licence, has a job, a flat, his girlfriend and, most importantly, has his dignity back.”
